1. Field of the Invention
The invention is a bicycle trailer hitch or accessory mount formed and arranged with a receiving aperture integral with a bicycle frame seat stay array.
2. Description of Related Art
Bicycle trailer hitch mounts have been problematic since bicycle trailers appeared commercially several decades ago. New and different bicycle frame geometries have exacerbated difficulties in hitch mount arrangements.
Prior art arrangements have included three basic arrangements, all having slightly different disadvantages.
One alternative is to utilize a clamp loosely carried on a bicycle seat post, the seat post providing a cylindrical pin or post in a substantially vertical axis around which the trailer may rotate. This necessitated either removing a seat post, difficult on a road bike without a quickxe2x80x94quick release, or enabling the unclamping of the clamp mechanism, if it is desired to be removed. Alternatively, a horizontal pin could be disengaged from the trailer, but this has the disadvantage of leaving the clamp on the seat post.
Another alternative is to clamp a bracket of some kind directly to the bicycle frame. Brackets have been used for a variety of allied products, such as racks, child carrying seats, and could be adapted to trailer carrying. These frame mounted brackets have been mounted, for example, using clamps attached to seat stay. These seat stay mounts can be mounted in a high position or in a low position, the low position necessitating a long, bowed or curved trailer tongue to permit movement around a vertical axis to round curves in a road or trail without the trailer fouling the rear wheel.
Accessory mounts for lighter duty accessories follow many of the same principles described above, typically being bolted or clamped to the bicycle frame. Small accessories have also been bolted to brazed-on fittings comprising threaded apertures that receive bolts or machine screws, but these fastenings have typically been limited to small accessories such as water-bottle holders or racks.
Quick release seat post bag clips are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,496,089 and 5,593,126, but these embodiments were either formed integrally with a seat post or clamped to seat rails, not integral with the bicycle frame. These patents are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
All of the clamp-on or bolt-on arrangements share disadvantages of requiring additional fittings, having fasteners prone to vibration or loosening, and providing surplus weight. They also share the difficulty of rapid removal of the hitch arrangement.
The invention is a bicycle trailer hitch or accessory mount with a rotatable and removable pin fitted in a socket integral with the bicycle frame providing great strength with negligible additional weight, yet the hitch or accessory mount itself is readily removable, thereby enabling rapid disconnecting of the trailer and elimination of the added weight of the hitch or accessory mount when the bicycle is desired to be ridden without the trailer.